The AGV Corsa R helmet is one of the few helmets not to have been officially certified by the US DOT in any way. Although we had heard that it was a comparatively under-produced helmet that was not built to the same high standards as the other helmets in the Corsa series.
The AGV Corsa R is a lightweight open face helmet aimed at track day enthusiasts. It features a carbon fiber shell, advanced aerodynamics and a removable face shield for easy washing.
Is the helmet any good? Is there a reason to even buy it? This review article of the AGV Corsa R will give you the details both good and bad about this helmet.
Why trust us? We review helmets nearly everyday and our readers have come to trust our unbiased and honest opinion. We truly appreciate our readers. Let’s get started.
Ratings
Comfort:
Visibility:
Coolness:
Ventilation:
Quietness:
Overall rating:
Specifications
Outer shell material : Composite Fibre
Shell size : XS-XXL
Liner : HydraDry material
Weight : 1.35 kg (3lbs)
Pinlock : Yes, Anti-Fog Ready
Strap System : Double D-ring fastener
Safety Ratings
DOT : NO
ECE : NO
SNELL : No
SHARP : YES
FIM: YES
Shape and materials
The AGV Corsa R uses a 100 percent carbon fiber outer shell, which is bonded to a high quality, EPS-type foam inner liner. The EPS foam provides an excellent shell material that should help a helmet to better withstand impacts from hard impacts without causing fatigue.
AGV claims that the foam should prevent internal chatter, and give the helmet a more plush, natural feel. A plastic cheek piece with two air vents is integrated with the visor.
There are five control straps that are adjustable in length and strength. The sizing of the ear pieces is adjustable, and three other adjusters on the top of the helmet are suitable for your head size.
The last thing we should note about the design is the cheek piece – it’s there for a reason, but it might not be the best design in the world.
The helmet comes in many color schemes depending where you are purchasing from. The main colors are Black (very shiny) and Matte Black.
Make no bones about it: The Corsa R has a very distinct and ultra aggressive look to it. Have no shame when you are wearing this helmet, as you will absolutely be noticed. Even from very far away.
OVERALL COMFORT
Although the AGV Corsa R is a relatively un-certified helmet, it is one of the few that you could actually feel comfortable wearing around town.
Things I liked
Things I don’t like
It has a top quality feel, due to its carbon fiber shell and a soft yet flexible exterior.
Our first impression of the AGV Corsa R is that it’s extremely comfortable and fits the head very well. We did have one problem however and that’s that the cheek pads are angled too far forward and sometimes there’s a little gap between the pads and the brim of the helmet.
This isn’t a huge issue though, especially when it comes to open face racing. We also noticed that there was a little gap between the goggles and the brow strap.
Though this is definitely not a safety issue in any way, we did a little research on the web and found that this is a common issue with models made from German supplier EPS/Morph, which AGV uses in this helmet.
EPS/Morph is a rather good brand though and there’s an easy fix to the front edge of the face shield to close this gap.
The helmet almost appears too light to be real, in the same way as some hard plastic toys feel to the touch.
We have a suspicion that a portion of the weight is due to the insanely firm and luxurious interior padding.
VISIBILITY
The visor on the AGV Corsa R is adjustable both internally and externally. A very interesting feature is that there is a pin lock system incorporated into the visor that allows you to lock it into place at the time of its installation.
This helps prevent any accidents by making it impossible to remove the helmet from your head while you are wearing it.
A multi-function visor will also be included with the helmet, which is interchangeable and can be replaced should it become damaged or corroded.
The viewing angle is quite wide so you should have no real problems when riding around. The Pinlock system is anti-fog ready should you need it. We did not test this feature but we haven’t heard anything bad about it either.
QUIETNESS
The AGV Corsa R is an open face, street/track/action sport helmet with a carbon fiber shell. That said, the helmet is not the quietest we’ve ever reviewed. At the same time the noise levels in our opinion were not so bad that we felt distracted at any time.
You should always expect a helmet of this type to produce at least 85 decibels of noise. In other words, performance helmets are always going to be loud. But that’s OK as far as we’re concerned. People don't purchase this type of helmet because of its noise dampening abilities.
Honestly. If you know what you are buying into with the AGV helmet, then noise levels are going to be the last of your concerns. We would suggest you get a good set of earplugs or rely on a Bluetooth communication system to keep road noise down.
VENTILATION
The AGV Corsa R is a breathable design with adjustable vents. The black lower portion of the helmet is slightly narrower than the carbon fiber portion of the shell, where it joins the chin bar, so there is a built-in vent for the chin bar area.
The lower vents with dual screens offer wider channels to get air through more easily. Has the top of the helmet attached by an adjustable strap to be easily removed in the case of an accident
There is an integrated dual-density foam in the liner, for less density inside than you typically find on many helmets. There’s also anInternal 3-chamber air vent for optimal air flow.
We like the fact that the vents have a very quiet operation. We detected no noise from the vents and sound from the inner padding.
On the face of the helmet, the vents are nicely shaped and form a teardrop shape on the top of the helmet.
SAFETY
The Corsa R helmet features a strong, durable carbon fiber shell with an external visor. The shell material is 3D printed and is secured onto the helmet using a high-strength nylon construction.
This is crucial for safety, as the internal molding creates pressure points that allow the helmet to flex and absorb impacts without rupturing the helmet’s inner material.
The helmet shell features an adjustable air flow system to keep the wearer cool on hot days, and it is easy to remove or fit onto the helmet.
The AGV Corsa R helmet is available in either an orange, white or gray colour scheme, with a matching face shield. The AGV Corsa R is a good option for racing drivers looking for a lightweight open face race helmet who want maximum protection.
As we’ve already mentioned at the beginning of this review article, the Corsa R is not DOT certified. It is also not ECE nor is it SNELL approved.
What the helmet is though, is SHARP and FIM certified. That means you can fly around the track and use it for any other task you need it for. The helmet has enough protection features to take care of you.
We find that the Double D-Ring chin strap is comfortable and works rather nicely.
Conclusion
So far we have had a great experience reviewing the AGV Corsa R helmet. This open face helmet does a stellar job and easily does what it says it will.
A 100% Carbon Fiber helmet is not something most people will purchase everyday. But for those who want to try out one, we’d recommend the Corsa R with no regrets.
We think the AGV Corsa R is a great value in a fairly unique design.
Although the helmet is comfortable enough for track use, we did experience a fair amount of perspiration over the duration of a single day of track driving with the helmet. But we are still impressed.
Is the helmet perfect? Not a chance. Can it deliver on its promises? You better believe it. Those of you deciding on purchasing this helmet, you decided it was for a very particular reason. Whether that’s for the pure thrill of owning a track helmet or having something for others to look at, you won’t be disappointed with your choice.
Where to buy this helmet :